Experimental Drainage Plots

The Experimental Drainage Field at the Southeast Purdue Agricultural Center (SEPAC) was initiated in 1983 by researchers in Purdue's Departments of Agronomy and Agricultural & Biological Engineering.

The original goal of the project was to evaluate the effectiveness of modern subsurface drainage practices on both soil drainage and crop yield, on a soil that was traditionally not subsurface- (“tile-”) drained.  Additional goals were added with time and included study of nitrate and pesticide leaching into drain water as well as impacts of drainage and agronomic management practices on soil quality.